Circuit-breaker-operating mechanism



May 6, 1930.

C. AALBORG CIRCUIT BREAKER OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 6, 1930. c. AALBORG CIRCUIT BREAKER OPERATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. '7, 1926 y W Rw m m4 m mw m w m A am Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT ounce CHRISTIAN AALBORG, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A.-- CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA CIBCUIT-IBREAKEB-OPERATING MECHANISM Application filed September 7, 1926. Serial No. 133,780.

My invention relatesto circuit-interrupters and particularly to operating mechanisms therefor.

One object of my invention is to provide an operating mechanism for circuit-interrupters that shall be trip-free in all its operating positions.

Another object of my invention is to provide an actuating mechanism for circuit-inloterrupters that shall be reset during its circuit-opening movement.

Another object of my invention is to provide an actuating mechanism for circuit-interrupters that shall be characterized by the 1 use of but a single stationary latch member and toggle mechanism.

A further object of my invention is to provide an operating mechanism for circuit-interrupters that shall be reset after releasing 90 the circuit interrupter by a continued influence of the force of ravity.

In installations of circuit-interrupters, it is common practice to employ a single operating and actuating mechanism for controlling one or more circuit interrupters during undesired conditions. After the operating mechanism has moved to its circuit-opening position it again locks itself in order to close the circuit-interrupters upon the subsequent excitation of a source of power, such as'an electromagnet.

According to myinvention, I have provided an actuating lever having pivoted thereon an operating lever for the circuit interrupters, and to which an electro-magnet is connected. The operating lever is normally held .in a predetermined relation to the actuating lever by a stationarily-mounted latch member that, in turn, is controlled by the usual overload relay. "Upon the excitation of the relay, the two levers are released for relative movement to permit the operation of the circuit interrupters independently of th electro-magnet.

Referring to the accompanying drawings;

Fi 1 is a view, in elevation, of a portion of a ank of circuit interrupters with my improved operating mechanism in its circuit closing position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the details of theoperating mechanism in an intermediate position, and

. Fig. is a similar view of the operating mechanism 1n its circult openlng position.

dash pot 5, and a link mechanism 6 for coni necting the electro-magnet 2 with the operating mechanism (not shown) that is housed Within each of the circuit interrupters 1. The elements 1 to 5, inclusive, of the circuit-interrupter mechanism may be of any preferred type since they form no part of the present invention, except in so far as they are necessary to complete the combinations hereinafter described and claimed. The present invention resides in the combination of the elements 1 to 5, inclusive, with the link mechanism 6 and the details of that mechanism.

, The link mechanism 6 comprises a rod 7 that extends between a plurality of crank arms 8 that are connected to the operating shaft 9 of the several circuit-interrupters 1. The crank arm 8 of the central circuit interrupter 1 shown in Fig. 1, is connected to a link 10 by a second arm 11 mounted on the shaft 9. The link 10 is attached to the end of an operating lever 12 that is pivotally mounted, as at 13, on an actuating lever 14. The other end of the lever 12 is provided with g'rollcr 15 for co'0peration with a latch mem- Referring to Fig. 2, the actuating lever 14 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 17 that is supported by a lug 18 projecting from the frame-work of the circuitinterrupter '1. The lever 14 extends outwardly beyond the shaft 17 for an appreciable distance where it is provided with an opening 19 for the attachment of a coil spring 21, the other end of which is-secured to the frame-work of the overload relay 3, whereby the spring 21 biases the lever 14 in a counter clockwise direction about the shaft 17.

A rod 22 that is secured to the armature o the closin electro-magnet 2 is provided with a pin 23 for engaging a slot 24 in the actuating lever 14. Beyond the slot 24 the lever 14 is provided with a lug 25 that co-operates with an extension 26 on the frame of the closing electro-magnet 2 to constitute a stop member.

The latch member 16 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 27, that is supported by a lug 28 that, in turn, is secured to the frame-work of the circuit-interrupter 1, and is provlded with a tail-piece 29 that engages a rod 31 which is connected to the armature member of the overload relay 3. A coil spring 32 normally biases the latch 16 in a clock-w se direction about its shaft 27. A stop 33 is provided on the tail-piece 29 for preventing over-travel of the latch member 16.

One end of the rod 7 is connected to a bell crank lever 34 that actuates a rod 35 extending into the auxiliary switch casing 4 for operating the auxiliary switches (not shown).

Referring to Fig. 1, when the clrcuit-interrupters are in their closed positions, the several crank arms 8 are held'by the underset toggle consisting of the arm 11 of the central circuit-interrupter unit 1, the l1nk'10, the lever 12, the lever 14, the rod 22, and the spring 21.

Upon the occurrence of undesirable cond1- tions in the circuit actuating the overload relay 3, the member 31 is pulled upwardly, thereby causing the latch member 16 to release the roller 15. Upon the release of the roller 15, the operating lever 12 turns n a counter-clock-wise direction about its pivot point 13 under the influence of the welght that had previously been resisted by the several crank arms 8, thereby permitting the several crank arms 8 to turn in a clock-Wise direction to move the circuit-interrupters 1 to their open positions, whereupon the parts assume the relative position shown in Fig. 2.

When the several parts of the mechanism have assumed the relative positions shown in Fig. 2, the closing elect-ro-magnet 2 is deenergized by the operation of the auxiliary switches mounted in the switch-cabinet 4 through the movement of the bell-crank 34 and the rod 35, whereupon the closing electromagnet 2 is de-energiz'ed. I

Referring to Fig. 3, upon the de-energization of the electro-magnet 2, the spring 21 contracts to turn the lever 14 in a counter clock-wise direction about its shaft 17 to withdraw the member 22 of the electromagnet 2. Since the outer end of the lever 12 is held in a relatively fixed position by the link 10 and the attached crank arm 11, the downward movement of the actuating lever 14 causes the operating lever 12 to turn about its axis 13 in a clock-wise direction. As theactuating lever 14 moves downwardly, the roller 15, mounted on the operating lever 12,

engages the latch member 16, and when the allelism with the actuating. lever 14. Since the roller 15 and the shaft 17 are in substantialalignment when the operating lever 12 is in its latched position, the two levers may be considered as being co-axially mounted during the closing movement of the circuit-interrupter.

In order to reclose the circuit-interrupter, the closing electro-magnet 2 is energized,

with the result that the member 22 is drawn a,"

upwardly, carrying with it the actuating lever 14 and the operating lever 12 that is latched thereto. During the upward movement of the operating lever 12, the link 10 and the crank arm 8 of the central circuitinterrupter 1, are given a counter clockwise movement about the shaft 9 to close the circuit-interrupters. The movement of the crank arm 8 of the central circuit-interrupter is transmitted through the rod 7 to the other circuit-interrupters. The foregoing movement continues until the lug 25 engages the stop 26, after which the several circuit-interrupters are held in their closed position by the cooperation between the rod 22 of the closing electro-magnet 2 and the latch member 16. I

Since the latch member 16 is stationaryat all times, the overload relay 3 is able to release the operating lever 12 at any time during the closing movement of the closing electro-magnet 2, thereby rendering the circuit-lnterrupter mechanisms trip-free from the closing electro-magnet.

Accordingly, I have devised a circuit- C interrupter operating mechanism that is trip-free in all positions and that is characterized by use of a single-stationarilymounted latch member that co-operates with a pair of levers, one of which is connected 1.;

operation, but, nevertheless,

fall within the scope of the appended claims. 7

I claim as my invention:

1. In an actuating device, motor means, a lever connected to the motor means and to a fixed fulcrum, a second lever mounted intermediate its ends on the first lever between the connections to the motor means and the fixed fulcrum, mechanism connected to the second lever,and restraining means for re leasably holding one end of the second lever in a definite relation to the shaft of the first lever, whereby upon the release of the restraining means the second lever is free to turn with respect to the first lever under the influence of the connected mechanism, and the motor means is thereafter adapted to turn the first lever about its shaft to bring the second lever into engagement with the restraining means.

'2. In an actuating device, an electro-magnet, an armature member therefor, a lever connected to the a-rn'iature member and to a tixed shaft, a second lever mounted intermediate its ends on the first lever between the connections to the armature member and the fixed shaft, mechanism connected to the seeond lever, and a latch member for normally holding one end of the second lever in a definite relation to the shaft of the first lever, whereby upon the actuation of the latch member the second lever is free to turn with respect to the first lever under the influence of the connected mechanism, and the electromagnet may thereafter turn the first lever about its shaft to bring the second lever into engagement with the latch member.

3. A circuit interrupter actuating device comprising a member mounted to turn about a fixed axis, a second member mounted upon a pivot carried by said first member and adapted to actuate said circuit interrupter, means adapted to engage a point on said second member to retain said point in alignment with the said fixed axis, and means for releasing the engagement between said alined means and said second member.

4. In an actuating device, an e'lectromag net, an actuating lever controlled thereby, a fixed pivot for supporting the actuating lever, an operating lever pivotally mounted on the actuating lever, a roller on the operating lever and a restraining member adapted to engage and substantially aline the roller with the said fixed pivot.

5. In an actuating device, an electromagnet, an actuating lever controlled thereby, a lixed pivot for supporting the actuating lever, an operating lever pivotally'mounted on the actuating lever, a roller on the operating lever, a second fixed pivot, and a restraining member on the last said pivot adapted to engage and substantially aline the roller with the first said pivot.

6. In an actuating device, an electromagnet, an actuating lever controlled thereby, an operating lever controlled by the actuating lever, a fixed member and a restraining member mounted on the fixed member adapted to retain the said levers in fixed relation with each other during operation.

7 In an actuating device for a circuit interrupter, an electroma-gnet, an actuating lever controlled thereby, a stationary pivot supporting the actuating lever, an operating lever for said circuit interrupter pivoted on said actuating lever and biased to open circuit position, a second fixed pivot, a restraining member mounted thereon for releasably engaging a point on said operating lever, and electro-responsive means for obtaining the release of the said restraining member.

8. In an actuating device, an actuating lever adapted to be moved about a fixed fulcrum, an operating lever pivotally mounted on the actuating lever, and biased to turn relative thereto, and a latch member pivotally mounted on a fixed member adapted to releasably retain a point on said operating member in alinement with said fulcrum.

9. In an actuating device for circuit interiupters, a pivotally mounted lever adapted terrupter biased to open position, motor means, a lever connected to said motor, a fixed pivot for the lever, a second lever piv' otally mounted on the first lever and adapted to actuate said circuit interrupter, biasmeans adapted to turn said fixed lever about its pivot and restraining means for releasably maintaining a point on said second lever in alinement with said fixed pivot, whereby upon the release of the restraining means the second lever is freeto turn with respect to the first lever and when the source of power is de-energized the first lever is turned to cause the second lever to again become engaged by the latch'member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this first day of September,

CHRISTIAN AALBORG. 

